Diamond Empowerment Fund Names Honorees for 'Good Awards'

Press Release: The Diamond Empowerment Fund (D.E.F.) announced it will honor Jane Seymour, an accomplished actress, artist, jewelry designer, and philanthropist and Jewelers for Children, including its highly respected executive director David Rocha, at its fourth annual GOOD Awards to be held January 8, 2015 at the Empire Penthouse Lounge in New York City. Seymour, Jewelers for Children and Rocha are being honored for their global leadership and for making a positive difference in the lives of countless youth and communities around the world.

The D.E.F. established the GOOD Awards in 2012 to recognize individuals, organizations and corporations in the diamond and jewelry industry for outstanding leadership in the areas of global good corporate citizenship, sustainability and promoting opportunity in diamond communities.

Seymour, a true renaissance woman, is an Emmy and Golden Globe Award winning actress for her role as Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, among other performances. She is known in the jewelry world for her successful Open Hearts Collection of jewelry. Seymour is also the co-founder of the Open Hearts Foundation whose mission is to positively impact lives in the area of health, education, arts and sports.

“It is an honor that the Diamond Empowerment Fund has chosen to recognize the work that I’ve done with my Open Hearts Foundation where we focus on organizations and individuals who turn adversity into an opportunity to serve others,” said Seymour.

Rocha has been the driving force behind the diamond and jewelry industry supported Jewelers for Children organization. Jewelers for Children's mission is to help children in need. Since its founding by the U.S. jewelry industry in 1999, over $45 million has been donated to organizations including Make-A-Wish and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as well as relief efforts following hurricane Katrina, the Asian tsunami, and the earthquake in Japan. Rocha, who has led the organization for the past 10 years said, “the impact the jewelry industry has made on the lives of countless children around the world inspires me every day.”

Phyllis Bergman, the president of the D.E.F., said, “We are thrilled to honor the exemplary achievements of Jane Seymour and David Rocha and Jewelers for Children.”

For a limited time, D.E.F will be offering an early pricing special on two tickets. Visit www.goodawards.org for more information on tickets, journal ads and sponsorship packages.

About the Diamond Empowerment Fund:

The Diamond Empowerment Fund (D.E.F.) is a global non-profit based in New York City and co-founded by Russell Simmons and leaders in the diamond industry in 2007 to empower diamond communities around the world. Its beneficiaries include: CIDA City Campus, South Africa’s first non-profit university to offer a four-year business degree. CIDA has an 80 percent employment rate among graduates; the African Leadership Academy, a university preparatory school in Johannesburg, South Africa, founded on the belief that ethical leadership is the key to sustainable development on the continent and drawing students from all 54 countries in Africa, and the Botswana Top Achievers program that provides the top high school students countrywide the opportunity to study at a university of their choice worldwide. Graduates then return to Botswana to contribute to its economic, social and political development. www.diamondempowerment.org.

Rapaport News is not responsible for, and does not endorse, the content of any third-party press release. This is not a Rapaport Press Release. It has been provided as additional information for our clients.